'At tonight's BAFTA screening of "The Parting of the Ways," the final episode of this first series of "Doctor Who," producer Russell T Davies and BBC executive Jane Tranter announced that a third series of the show has now been commissioned, including a second Christmas special. They also noted that Billie Piper (Rose) would be in all the episodes of the second series, although whether she would return for the third was apparently still being discussed, and that John Barrowman (Captain Jack) will be returning to the series next
year but will not appear in the first block of episodes. (Says our correspondent, Barrowman was also in the audience at the screening, and when Davies announced his return, he yelled out, "And I'm willing to get naked again, too!")

Also mentioned at the BAFTA screening was a title for this year's Christmas special: The Christmas Invasion. That, and the season two block of thirteen episodes, will go into production in July. More details as we get them.'

That finale blew away Galactica's finale and confirmed to me that Doctor Who is above every series even I presently watch

Bad Wolf turned out to be The TARDIS/Rose hybrid, the TARDIS sent messages across time and space to warn itself of The Doctors' intentions to send it to Earth from Rose, Rose bonded with the TARDIS and used her new powers to deatomise The entire Dalek fleet

The main villain behind the revived Daleks was The Dalek Emperor, who had fallen through a time hole during the time war, he recreated his army using the humans eliminated from the shows hosted on Sattile Five.

There was a kiss between The Doctor and Rose, but thankfully it was only because The Doctor had to suck the time/space vortex out of her and restore it to the TARDIS, the results killed every cell in his body and he was forced to regenerate.

According to a rumour at Outpost Galifrey K9 and Sarah Jane, compaions of the 3rd and 4th doctors, will be returning for the next series!

From Outpost Gallifrey:

Will K9 make a comeback next year? The Newsquest Media Group syndicated column says so, furthering rumors in June that he would be joining Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane) for an appearance next year. "Dr. Who's famous canine companion looks set to make a comeback - to the delight of its Bridport creators. Mechanical mutt K9 was the invention of local novelist David Martin and his script writing partner Bob Baker. The pair penned around 30 episodes of the hit TV sci-fi show in the 70s and 80s - many featuring their "pentium-powered" pooch. Now BBC chiefs are understood to be planning a return for the Timelord's faithful four-wheeled friend in the next series. This week Mr Baker confirmed that he was meeting with the show's producers to discuss K9's future role. 'It is not confirmed yet but I am sure he will be in the new series although we have to discuss how to use him,' he said. 'We love the idea of him coming back - he really was a cult figure - but we need to get things right. Last time it ended with people carrying him around the set which was not right and suspended belief a bit too much.' ... A spokeswoman for the BBC said they were working on the new Dr Who series but refused to confirm whether K9 would be involved. 'There is no comment at this point.'"

Raph's Girl note: Yay for robotic dogs! Now if only Frobisher would show up!

Ex-Doctor Who companion Sarah Jane Smith will return in the new series of the sci-fi show, it was revealed as the Doctor's new costume was unveiled.

However Rose, played by Billie Piper, will remain the Doctor's full-time companion throughout the new series.

The Doctor's "striking" new outfit consists of a striped suit, trenchcoat and trainers.

'Timeless and modern'

Tennant said: "I think we've come up with something distinctive that's both timeless and modern, with a bit of geek chic and of course, a dash of Time Lord!

"Most importantly Billie tells me she likes it - after all she's the one who has to see me in it for the next nine months."

Casanova star Tennant replaced Christopher Eccleston in the lead role, appearing briefly at the end of the last BBC series in June.

Piper said she was "thrilled" to be playing companion Rose again.

"We plan to make series two even bigger and better and challenge the viewers' imaginations like never before," she said. "Wait until you get a load of the new doctor!"

The character Sarah Jane previously appeared in the series from 1973 to 1976, alongside Doctors played by Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker.

A journalist with outspoken feminist views, she was given robot dog K-9 as a goodbye present from the Doctor and appeared in spin-off pilot show K-9 and Company.

The new 13-part series will also feature Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Anthony Head and an episode will be written by comic Stephen Fry.

We can promise new thrills, new laughs, new heartbreak and some terrifying new aliens

Penelope Wilton will return to play Harriet Jones in a Doctor Who Christmas special, as the alien Sycorax threatens the earth in an episode currently being filmed in Cardiff and London.

The Cybermen will return in the new series, and the Doctor and Rose will meet Queen Victoria and an evil race of Cat Women.

Coyote Ugly star Adam Garcia will make an appearance and further episodes will be written by Russell T Davies, Mark Gattis and Tom Macrae among others.

Davies, who remains the show's executive producer, said: "We were delighted and honoured by the first series' success, and we can promise new thrills, new laughs, new heartbreak and some terrifying new aliens."

No way!!! I LOVE Sarah Jane!! I wonder if she still has the funny voice? I still remember the episode she was hanging on the scaffolding going "Dr I can't hold on any longer..." then fell and it did a freeze frame and the theme song came in, I remember the 24 hour wait to see what happened was agonising!! I think I was about 8 when it was on tv.

The Saturday morning edition of The Mirror is reporting that Billie Piper has informed producers that she will be leaving Doctor Who and has no intention of returning for a third series. The article, penned by Kiki King and Nicola Methven -- the latter having been the journalist responsible for the Mirror's breaking news report in late March that Christopher Eccleston was leaving the series -- says that Piper "told producers she did not want to become typecast as they begged her to stay for a third run of the hit show. A source said last night: 'Her mind's made up. ... She wants to strike while the iron's hot and make a big name for herself while she's so popular. She feels her profile will go down if the series isn't as big the third time around. The BBC are auditioning other girls to take over. They want to have the next actress all lined up when they announce Billie's departure.'"

The Mirror notes that Piper had nearly left the series during its second year but was persuaded to stay and film the year with the new Doctor, David Tennant, and states that the production team has been "conducting secret auditions with a small number of actresses and keeping it very, very quiet. They are after a relative newcomer so this is the role which puts her in the public eye. It also means she's less likely to get bored after one series."

Without specifically stating it, the article intimates that Piper will stay aboard the series for the season, departing sometime before its conclusion. At press time there is currently no official confirmation from the Doctor Who production team or any other BBC sources, but we're likely to hear a lot about this in the coming hours and days. Stay tuned...

I can understand this completly, as Rose, her character has been explored as far as it can be possible and her story had been intergral to the span of the Ninth Doctors' arc, since hes' regenerated saving her life, and that she reminded him of what he does and who he cares for more than his now long existinct race, theres' no development for her. Bring on a new companion.

Rumours still persist that the finale will be the first time ever that the Daleks and the Cybermen will clash one on one.

Raph's Girl note: And can I just say that the description of the Cybermen sounds like the Borg?? Cuz well it does...so the Cybermen are borg or the Borg are Cybermen...

The Borg are just cheap a Knockoff of the Cybermen!

But it seems that the Daily Star has an 'exclusive' and reports that Billie ain't quitting the show and would'nt let Davies or the show down like that. It also said that a friend of hers mentioned that she already signed a contract for series 3!

That was a solid five minutre intro for Tennant, the cloister bell ringing was perfect, and yes, we officially have a faulty regeneration, The Doctor soon swithes from calm and assuring to manaical as he propels the TARDIS towards Earth

For those that wanna know the schedule for Dr. Who Christmas Invasion in your area well...

UK: Christmas Night (Dec 25th) at 7pm on BBC1 and Jan 1st at 7pm on BBC3
Canada: Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 8pm on CBC

Norway: Christmas Night on NRK2 (dunno the time but probably 8pm)

Figures a Christmas special would air the day AFTER christmas in North America. Meh..at least I get to see it without having to worry about having to set the VCR to record it since I'll probably be having dinner at my step-grandma's place Christmas night.

Anyways no word on when the Christmas Invasion will air in Sweden, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands or the other countries that air it since many of those countries are a bit behind the UK and Canada. I know Norway has caught up.

The Chrismtas Invasion was superb for a post-regeneration episode, Tennant added more attributes to his portrayal of the Doctor, the Sycorax ship swarming over London, The Doctor realising that a moving speech he was quoting came from The Lion King

Even better was the plot twist at the conclusion, with Harriets' character taking a sinister turn in dealing with the Sycorax after they promised to leave the Earth, stabbing them in the back and ordering themysterious group known as "Torchwood" to fire at them rather than let them tell others of Earths' location and history of defense. The Doctor was utterly peeved and it truly set the bar for what could happen later in the next season, The Doctor against Torchwood.

...And threatning to bring down Harriets' reign in office as Prime Minsiter with six words or less was a hilarious touch, ("Dont' you think she looks tired?")

Now, I would like to stress that the preview for the "next episode" featuring Cybermen, K-9, Sarah Jane, the Face of Bo, and the cat people are'nt all from the same episode, there a preview of season twos' upcoming episodes put together as a clip montage, some people are assuming "New Earth", the next new episode beggining in March, has all of that.

Good news for the yanks, the box set of the first season is released in both Canada and the States in Febuary if negoitations suceed on the U.S side of